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Convicted killer Andre VanCliff, accused of molesting two girls who visited him at the State Correctional Institution at Retreat, was sentenced Monday to additional prison time and a $15,000 fine after pleading no contest to a count of conspiracy to corrupt minors. THE CITIZENS’ VOICE FILE

A convicted killer accused of coaxing a woman to bring two girls to visit him in prison so he could molest them was sentenced Monday to additional prison time and was hit with a hefty fine after pleading no contest to a count of conspiracy to corrupt minors.

Andre VanCliff, 48, was ordered to pay a $15,000 fine for his crime after prosecutors revealed his co-conspirator gave him more than $16,400 between January 2012 and September 2012, and that his prison financial account has a balance of more than $9,000.

Assistant District Attorney Jenny Roberts requested the fine while noting that VanCliff, who was convicted of first-degree murder in a 1994 slaying in Philadelphia, is already serving a life sentence at State Correctional Institution at Retreat and that additional time in prison would be meaningless.

“Because he’s a life inmate, really the only punishment that is appropriate other than consecutive jail time to life would be the fine,” Roberts said. “He should not be able to profit from a criminal conspiracy like he did.”

VanCliff offered short answers to questions posed by Luzerne County Judge Michael T. Vough. When the judge asked if he had anything to say, VanCliff only addressed a claim by the prosecution that he had been trying to transfer money from his prison account to an outside bank.

“There is no outside account,” VanCliff said. He did not address the charges against him.

Vough sentenced him to the maximum $15,000 fine in addition to 42 to 84 months in prison consecutive to his life sentence, ordering that the roughly $9,000 in VanCliff’s prison account be seized.

VanCliff’s co-defendant, 42-year-old Rebecca Butler, was convicted in February of two counts each of endangering the welfare of a child and conspiracy to allow indecent assault of a child. Last month, Vough sentenced her to 3½ years to 10 years in state prison.

Prosecutors say Butler and VanCliff became pen pals after VanCliff saw Butler’s name in a newspaper story and wrote her a letter. Butler’s attorney said she made the mistake of responding after VanCliff contacted her after “trolling the newspaper” for names of women.

Butler eventually began visiting VanCliff at the Newport Township prison, bringing two girls starting when they were 4 and 7 years old, according to prosecutors. She maintained that she did not conspire to have VanCliff molest the girls, but prosecutors said she was well aware that her conduct was illegal, making the children miss school to visit VanCliff — who wanted to marry the girls one day.

The convicted killer urged Butler to teach them about sex and send him near-nude photos of the kids, which she did, according to prosecutors.

Prison officials learned about the sexual abuse in September 2012 after they launched a separate investigation into VanCliff and started to scrutinize his mail. The officer said prison staffers found a letter VanCliff addressed to Butler that was written in a sexually explicit manner to one of the girls.

A search of VanCliff’s cell turned up three photos of him groping the girls during one of his visits with Butler and the girls in a prison visiting room — evidence used in Butler’s trial to prove the alleged indecent assault.

VanCliff previously pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit corruption of minors but later withdrew his plea, maintaining his innocence in court filings.

He declined to comment Monday as sheriff’s deputies led him from the courthouse.

570-821-2058, @cvjimhalpin

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